Adult Sex Education

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My mother once said to me that she didn’t have to go to college to learn how to make a baby. What she was trying to say is that she didn’t have to go to school to learn how to have sex. That might be true on a basic level, but no one is born knowing everything about sex and what we were taught in high school is not that helpful as adults.

We all live in a country obsessed and conflicted by sex. If you don’t believe me just watch the Republican primary race this year. There seems to be a competition among the candidates to see who can shut down and control female sexuality the fastest, starting with the withdrawal of funding for Planned Parenthood. You don’t like that? Then turn the channel and you can watch BDSM on True Blood, or women reaching for their desire on Hung.

Sometimes it seems that we are a nation desperately in need of one large group therapy session on adult sexuality. We want it, but we don’t, and along the way there is a lot of misinformation and no support for adults looking for a good quality sex education. And then there is sexual shame.

So many of us get coaches in almost every aspect of our lives, from finances, to nutrition, to exercise. But when was the last time one of your friends told you that they were meeting with their sex coach or going to a sexuality workshop? And even if they were, do you think they would share this with you? Probably not. Because, like my mother, they feel they already know everything they need to “naturally” and if they don’t, then something is wrong. Speaking openly about sex still makes many of us squirm and feel embarrassed.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could acknowledge that just like nutrition, money, and exercise, we could use a little support along the way? Wouldn’t that be so grown up of us?

For most people, sex is one of the bigger issues out there and our relationship to our sexuality can be constantly changing just like our bodies. As we age, new sexual possibilities can present themselves. We may face medical challenges, our relationship status may change, our desires may shift and all of this can bring us tremendous opportunities for sexual growth or sexual shut down.

When most of us think of sex education, we think of kids or young adults, which leaves most adults groping for information on the internet. There is a lot of good adult sex education available online, but the hard part is separating the weeds from the flowers when it seems that everyone is a “sexpert.”

And while watching YouTube videos on orgasm might be helpful, actually speaking one on one to a sexuality coach, or attending a workshop, or downloading an adult sex education course might be a better way to go. Sometimes we need to talk about our own particular situation, and hear others talk about their experiences, and learn what questions to ask – and ask them.

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Pamela Madsen is an Integrative Life Coach Specializing In Women's Issues: Sexuality, Fertility, Body Image, Wellness and Rejuvenation. Pamela is also author of the best selling memoir Shameless (Rodale, Jan 2011), and founder of The American Fertility Association.Her websites BeingShameless.com and her daily blog, thefertilityadvocate.com, are a breakfast essential for reporters, writers and policymakers.

Great article! Adult sex education is a subject that has been overlooked for too long. I was very surprised how little adults really know about their body and sexuality when I opened http://sunshinesplayroom.com/ a few years ago. It has been my mission to get people to be more aware of their sexual health and wellness with out feeling ashamed or dirty. It's only natural.